I Nventory of S Ensitive a Nimal S Pecies in the F Erris

The Ferris Mountain Wilderness Study Area (WSA) is one of 42 WSAs in Wyoming managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as part of the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS). To date, no WSA in Wyoming has been elevated to Wilderness Area status under the NLCS. Information about the characteristics that make a WSA eligible for Wilderness Area designation is needed during the evaluation process. The Ferris Mountain WSA is of particular interest to many because of its remoteness, ruggedness, and historic significance as a landmark for settlers, as well as its unique ecosystems. The Ferris Mountain WSA lies in the transition zone between eastern and western ecosystems. This unique mountain range rises out of the sagebrush-steppes of central Wyoming to over 10,000 feet and is dominated by mixed conifer forests. A number of sensitive species are suspected to occur in the Ferris Mountains, but due to the relative inaccessibility of the landscape, no formal studies of the fauna of the Ferris Mountain WSA have previously been conducted. The Wyoming Natural Diversity Database conducted a species inventory of the fauna of the Ferris Mountain WSA in June 2011. We used a number of survey techniques, including small mammal traps, Anabat® units, trail cameras, mammal track and scat surveys, visual and auditory surveys for birds and amphibian, surveys of rock outcrops for reptiles, and surveys for butterflies and land snails. We documented at least 77 species of mammals, birds, amphibians, and invertebrates in the Ferris Mountain WSA. We also documented the first occurrence in the WSA of 8 species listed as sensitive or “of concern” by the BLM and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Due to the short duration of this study, we only were able to survey parts of 3 drainages in the Ferris Mountain WSA, yet we compiled a list of almost 80 species of animals. We expect this species list to increase if further attention is given to this remote, rugged, and ecologically important WSA. Recommended Citation: Estes-Zumpf, W. A., and D. Keinath. 2012. Inventory of sensitive animal species in the Ferris Mountain Wilderness Study Area, Wyoming. Prepared for the National Landscape Conservation System Research and Science Program and the Bureau of Land Management Rawlins Field Office by the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, Wyoming. 31 January, 2012.